As the weather grows colder, it’s important to take precautions to prevent damage to people and property. One easy-to-forget task is ensuring that pipes are protected. An excess of cold could cause pipes to burst.

When water freezes, it begins to expand. This increases the pressure in the pipe until it cracks open. Even small breaks can release litres of water. This can damage the rest of your home and lead to expensive repair bills. If a pipe bursts, advice is available, but you can also take preventative measures.

Insulation

Foam insulation is easily purchased and can be wrapped around a pipe to protect it from cold. Other potential forms of insulation include heat cables with thermostatic controls or heat tape.

Dripping taps

It is annoying when a tap drips, and it wastes water and raises your costs. It does, however, keep water flowing in your pipes. This means the pressure will be lower, and the possibility of a burst pipe is reduced.

Sealing

Look for any gaps in your walls and make sure the areas around your pipes in particular have no holes to let in cold air. If you find gaps, seal them shut as quickly as possible with some sealant.

Doors

While you definitely want outside doors closed, opening doors inside your house allows heat to travel efficiently between rooms. This warmth will eventually reach your pipes to help stop any freezing. Among the outside doors you want closed, the garage is the most important. Pipes often run through garage walls, but even when they don’t, the closed door provides extra protection from outside cold.

Thermostat

With modern technology, it is much easier to monitor and control the temperature in your home even when you are away. It is worth spending a little more money on heating when you are away to prevent your pipes becoming too cold. You should also make sure you have an efficient boiler. For boiler installation Cheltenham, you could try a local company such as combi-man.com.

Water

Another option if you are going away over the holiday season is to switch your water off completely. If the pipes are empty of water, there is no chance of them freezing and cracking. Just remember that it could affect sprinklers and other water-based fire protection.